Synthetic routes leading to the first polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane derivatives incorporating niobium are reported. Tetrasilanol (c-C6H11)(6)Si6O7(OH)(4) (2), for which an improved laboratory-scale synthesis is reported, cleanly reacts with Nb(OEt)(5) to afford the dinuclear niobasilsesquioxane [(c-C6H11)(6)Si6O11-NbOEt](2) ( 3), which slowly converts to the tetranuclear mu-oxo species 4 in the presence of moisture. A structurally different mu-ethoxy-bridged dinuclear niobasilsesquioxane, [(c-C6H11)(7)Si7O12NbOEt(mu-OEt)](2) ( 6), is readily accessible from (c-C6H11)(7)Si7O9(OH)(3) (5) and Nb(OEt)(5). The molecular structures of 2, 3, 4, and 6 have been determined by X-ray diffraction.
Synthetic routes leading to the first polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane derivatives incorporating niobium are reported. Tetrasilanol (c-C6H11)(6)Si6O7(OH)(4) (2), for which an improved laboratory-scale synthesis is reported, cleanly reacts with Nb(OEt)(5) to afford the dinuclear niobasilsesquioxane [(c-C6H11)(6)Si6O11-NbOEt](2) ( 3), which slowly converts to the tetranuclear mu-oxo species 4 in the presence of moisture. A structurally different mu-ethoxy-bridged dinuclear niobasilsesquioxane, [(c-C6H11)(7)Si7O12NbOEt(mu-OEt)](2) ( 6), is readily accessible from (c-C6H11)(7)Si7O9(OH)(3) (5) and Nb(OEt)(5). The molecular structures of 2, 3, 4, and 6 have been determined by X-ray diffraction.